Semper Vestrum
by Sentipensante
Summary: In the chaos of war, the Order becomes aware of a new prophecy that will change the shape of the conflict forever. For her final year Hermione must reside with her Potions Master as his apprentice and ward. As their relationship changes, will they learn to control their feelings or will they defy all that they know and give in to their desires. SS/HG
1. The Prophecy

**1. PREPARING FOR THE PROPHECY**

Tension reverberated throughout the room as it always did during this dreaded double potions period and both Harry and Hermione eyed each other carefully as Snape entered the classroom, his long strides even more exaggerated and ferocious than normal; they has all had a busy night with the Order so they understood that today his mood would be even more tempered than usual.

"Turn to page two hundred and make suitable notes for your upcoming examination," Snape instructed as he reached his desk and slumped down into his high backed chair. "Well don't just sit there and stare like vacant souls! Work."

The class did not need to be told twice, and even without Hermione and Harry's knowledge of their Professor's personal problems, understood that he was in a mood that was not to be tested. The pair picked up their quills and glanced at one another, then with a knowing nod, settled into their reading, neither actually taking the words in, and both thinking about Dumbledore's announcement the previous evening.

The night previous, they had been summoned along with other Order members to the Headmaster's office late after curfew to be told of his plans for the next step of the ongoing war. It seemed that Voldemort was accelerating his push for power and the resistance must act accordingly to prevent the former gaining any sort of foothold on the ladder to victory. Though he did not go into specific details, Dumbledore had informed the group that Voldemort had gained knowledge of a prophecy that was set to change the outcome of the war, and that the said prophecy could pertain to three people in particular: Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"Miss Granger, a word," a smooth voice said interrupting Hermione's musings. She looked up from her paper to see Snape standing before her desk, his hands tucked neatly across his chest and nestled into his cloak.

"Now?" she asked curiously, her voice a little strained and with a brief gesticulation to the other twenty or so students who where in earshot.

"Now would be agreeable," he responded with an unrivalled sneer, "unless of course this in an inappropriate time for you."

"Of course not, Sir." Hermione picked up her belongings and followed Snape to his desk at the front of the room, and just before she arrived there she watched as her Professor dismissed the rest of the class with a rude wave of his hand.

It did not take long for the room to empty, her fellow students apparently more than grateful to be released from his dark presence and before long she was left alone with Snape who was pacing before her, his face contorted and his demeanour as formidable as ever.

"Sit," he instructed and Hermione did so. It was not a request.

It seemed like an eternity before he spoke again, but when he did his tone was fraught and his manner frustrated.

"Miss Granger," he began professionally and with an air of disconnectedness she had only witnessed before in him, "have you had time to give Professor Dumbledore's suggestion much consideration?"

"I feel like the Headmaster's 'suggestion,' as you so called it, was nothing of the sort," she replied with an air of caution to counterbalance his directness. "I believe that it was a non-negotiable offer."

"As always in life Miss Granger, everything is a choice. Some choices however are much more life defining than others."

She eyed his demeanour and noted the strange mix of earnestness and impatience in his tone. "Professor, I do believe that I have no option but to agree to Professor Dumbledore's proposal," she said before adding: "However much I do not relish the idea."

"It seems that we at least agree on one thing," Snape responded shortly. "The situation is neither desirable nor coveted, however if we do not comply then I feel that the entire foundations of the Order be subject to damage."

"Sir, do you honestly believe that this prophecy is about one of us?"

"By 'us' I presume you mean the golden trio," he replied with so much disdain that his lip curled upwards and a small hiss escaped the confines of his throat. "Yes Miss Granger I do."

"And would you be inclined to tell me what this prophecy is actually about Professor?"

"I would not," Snape returned sternly. "Simply because I do not know."

"And does the Headmaster?" Hermione asked, surprised that the Order was prepared to go to such safeguarding measures if the details of the prophecy were not even known.

"I do not believe he does."

"So what? All we know is that there is a prophecy that Voldemort is aware of and that it could be to do with either myself or my friends. The details of this prophecy are not known, but what we do know is that whatever it is could shape the rest of the war."

"Ten points to Gryffindor Miss Granger," Snape hissed, "its seems that you have yet again impressed me with your powers of regurgitation!"

Hermione clenched her fist in annoyance. "Please excuse my impertinence Professor, but I do not think that Dumbledore's proposal will work for a week let alone a year if you continue to speak to me in such a manner."

Snape's dark eyes widened in surprise at Hermione's boldness.

"And how exactly would you like me to speak to you Miss Granger?" he asked mockingly, an eyebrow raised.

"Considering that we are going to be spending a lot more time together, I suggest that for the sake of both our sanity, we learn to tolerate one another at the very least."

"I will tolerate you and no more Miss Granger," Snape said matter-of-factly. "Are you otherwise engaged tonight or would it be a good time for you to begin moving some of your belongings into my connecting quaters."

"Tonight will be fine," Hermione said agreeably. "Perhaps you going meet me in Grffindor tower at about seven thirty to help transport a couple of my heavier trunks?"

"I do not think my presence in Gryffindor tower will go unnoticed, do you Miss Granger?"

"My housemates are all attending a gathering by the lake this evening Professor so nobody will be home. Not that I see how that would be a problem anyway," she added. "After all I will be your apprentice as far as my fellow students are aware, and it is quite normal for an apprentice to live in apprentice quarters."

"Indeed," Snape responded simply. "Seven thirty sharp."

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	2. Moving

**Chapter 2: Moving **

He entered her dorms with a minute to spare, stopping outside of the girls' bedroom and knocking twice on the tall door that separated him from an area of the castle that had never had no desire to see.

"Come in," a muffled voice called. He obeyed and hesitantly stepped inside.

Hermione Granger was at the edge of her modest double bed, neatly folding a few remaining items of clothing into a magically enlarged trunk, which undoubtedly she would shrink shortly. Severus remained by the door, his eyes casually surveying the room. He looked around the room and felt increasingly uncomfortable as posters of handsome young Quidditch players looked down on him from posters above each of the students beds; all but one.

"It's not really my thing," Hermione Granger said, interrupting his thoughts and gesturing up at the posters. "Flighty fancies and I are not the greatest of companions," she explained further.

Severus nodded, not sure what to say, instead he glanced around her section of the room, admiring the piles upon piles of neatly stacked text books that were arranged so perfectly and perpendicular that they appeared to form bedside furniture.

"These two trunks are packed and ready to go sir," Hermione said, pointing to two small trunks which lay at the foot of her bed. "Do you mind carrying them for me and I'll carry the rest?"

Severus nodded. "That will be acceptable."

"I think I've packed everything," she said, glancing around her now empty section of the room.

"I agree," Severus said shortly. "You quite literally have packed everything you own Miss Granger."

"Well I doubt I'll have much time to keep coming up here to collect things," she explained. "After all with you as my Potion's Master I don't think I am going to have much time for anything!"

Severus Snape let the corner of his lips turn upwards slightly, before quickly realising his mistake and forcing his eyebrows down to form a frown.

"An apprenticeship is not fun Miss Granger, but you will have allotted periods of time for reading and whatever else it is that you do for enjoyment or relaxation."

"Oh believe me Professor Snape Sir, I know full well that this is not going to be fun."

* * *

When they reached the deepest point in the dungeons, Professor Snape stopped at a dark oak door, pulled out his wand and muttered a short but complex spell which opened the door to his personal chambers. He stepped inside and Hermione carefully followed, pulling her trunks behind her.

He led her into a dimly lit sitting room, with contained very little other than two small leather sofas, a large lit fire and a myriad of books which lined the emerald coloured walls. On each of the four walls was a doorway, and Hermione instantly wondered which one, if any, led to his bedroom. What a strange thought it was for her to imagine that Professor Snape did ordinary human things like sleep and relax.

"Have you quite finished ogling my quarters Miss Granger," Snape sniped, cutting into her momentary daze.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," she apologised quickly. "I was just wondering which room would be mine." She was lying. That was not what she was thinking and she hoped that he hadn't realised this.

"Your quarters will be through this door here," he explained as he pointed to a small door in the shadows of the corner of the room. "If you would like to follow me and I will escort you through and show you which areas will be accessible to you and which will not. I have things to be getting on with so I would prefer to make this as quick and painless as possible."

Without hesitation and ignoring his rudeness, Hermione followed, her eyes affixed on him as he led her into the room that would be hers for the remainder of the long school year.

As she entered the room she was hit by a wall of surprise. The room was not at all dark and forbidding like she would have expected, but instead was freshly painted in a bright white, and adorned with soft red furnishings which matched beautifully with the thick oak beams which were commonplace in the rooms of Hogwarts.

"This is a beautiful room Professor," Hermione said in awe as she admired the grand oak wardrobe which sat in the corner of the room, and the tall oak framed bed which lay in the centre, draped in beautiful red blankets and fresh white sheets.

"Professor Dumbledore forced me to spend my afternoon improving it for your arrival," he said with such distain that it cut through the air like a bitter breeze.

"It seems that a member of the glorious threesome must only have the finest things in life."

"Actually Professor I do not care for such things," Hermione explained. "However, I do really appreciate all the effort that you have gone to. The room is beautiful, and that window," she exclaimed suddenly. "How on earth is there a window in here? We are in the dungeons aren't we?"

"You do understand that I am a wizard Miss Granger?" Snape sniped.

"Really?" she retorted with such sarcasm that it rivalled his own. "I never would have guessed."

"Sarcasm does not befit you, Miss Granger. Now would you like me to answer your question or was it one of life's most annoying habits and a rhetorical one?"

"Yes sir," Hermione said with a slight rolling of the eyes, "please explain to me how there is a window with such beautiful views when we are in the depths of the castle."

"The window does not look out onto anything at all Miss Granger; it is merely a reflection of your mood. It presents a sort of pathetic fallacy to whoever is looking out of it. For example I can see that you are very pleased with your surroundings so the view outside is one of freshly cut fields and glorious sunshine. When at any point you are upset or annoyed, the view outside will be one of rain and baron land," he continued.

"What a great idea," Hermione exclaimed, genuinely excited by this new magic.

"Of course Miss Granger," Snape drawled. "I am indeed full of them."

The conversation quickly moved onto an extensive explanation of house rules, where Hermione was allowed to go and where she was not. Her routine would consist of waking up, attending lessons, reading and revising, an hour session in Snape's private lab engaging in her apprentice studies and then finally in the evening she was allowed free time to spend with her friends or however she wished. Snape listed what seemed like a thousand and one rules and Hermione made sure she listened carefully to what he was saying. After all, she knew exactly how easily irritable a man he was and she did not want to annoy him whilst living in such close proximity.

"You will not enter my private space, including my bedroom, my bathroom, my office and of course my laboratory," he continued. "I am allowing this ridiculous situation to occur only because Professor Dumbledore believes that this is the best way to keep you safe, and I believe myself that the apprentice that we are engaging in will be of great academic importance to you."

"So you didn't agree to this so we could become great friends then," Hermione joked.

"I do not have friends Miss Granger," Snape replied in all seriousness. "So if you had any foolish notions that we would become anything of the sort over time then you are severely misguided. Now if you don't mind I am going to retire to the sitting room and let you unpack your belongings. It has been a long and arduous day and I have already lost enough reading time for one day. Good evening."

With that and before Hermione could thank him for the effort he had gone to by making her new bedroom so lovely and homely, Snape was gone, leaving Hermione to ponder on the strange turn of events and the odd situation she now found herself in. She wondered how Harry and Ron were coping with McGonagall and Dumbledore. Would they like their new home as much as she did?


End file.
